Arnotts was the large department store located on the corner of Commercial Street and the High Street, taking over from DM Browns in the early 70's.This ad shows some of what was on offer in their store in December 1973.
Bit of a mixed bag really, clothing, kitchen equipment, home accessories and electronic goods.
The 2 items illustrated are the Ronson Rapide hair dryer and the Jones Carousel cassette recorder, a fine piece of kit for it's day, responsible for many a home recording session, not to mention the occasional live bootleg album!!
Click image to read the large version.
Ha...nice cassette player. I had something similar in the 70s strapped to the back of my push bike with heavy duty tape so I could have music on the move. Nae iPods in them days. They were the days - sitting ready to press record listening to the top 40 on Sunday evening.
ReplyDeleteYou are right Joe. Fingers poised to cut out as much as you could of Fluff Freeman's blethers and hoping he wouldn't prattle over the end of a record.
ReplyDeleteWhat you had to do to avoid coughing up 6/8 in those days! We are spoilt now with access to music - Youtube, Limewire-whatever.
That cassette was about a week's wages for most people.
ReplyDeleteMasterton's sold them cheaper and that's where my first one came from.
Batteries were pricey too so a quick heat up under the grill extended their life.
Water in the depolariser y'see.
If you left them too long, they exploded.
Youngsters eh?
What do THEY know?
We had a very similar model for years - a white one with the big red "Record" button which, when pressed, also pushed down the play button (I thought this was the true appliance of science when I was a nipper!). I ended up using it for my Spectrum games. I also remember taping stuff off the radio with the microphone during the 80s, "shooshing" anyone in the vicinity who spoke too loudly...
ReplyDeleteAnd, of course, anyone who had a Spectrum in the 80s will remember borrowing a friend's tape recorder, connecting a lead from the "ear" socket of his/her recorder to the "mic" socket of your own and, hey presto, a nice wee copy of the latest £9.99 release...
ReplyDeleteMr Bridie and I were wondering when Continental Quilts became duvets?
ReplyDeleteI do remember thinking the word 'duvet' was a tad pretentious when continental quilt seemed a perfectly adequate description!
Sorry to be the one who lowers the tone this time, but I know a guy who got done for urinating in Arnotts!
ReplyDeleteThis chap from Douglas (who shall remain nameless) had been on an all day drinking session, and when on the way to get the bus home, he realised he was bursting for a pee. So as he was passing Arnotts at the time he thought he'd dash in to visit the loo. However, he only got as far as the Greetings Cards dept, couldn't hold it in any longer, and ended up pissing against the side of the card rack! He did go to court for it and got fined!!
I borrowed a pal's Knight Lore for the Spectrum but connected two tape decks the wrong way round thereby coping a blank tape over his legal copy of the game.
ReplyDeleteJohn Peel was the man who understood taping off the radio, he always left a pregnant pause after the song he played to give you time to switch off your wee plastic microphone :) he got into trouble for it numerous times but denied all knowledge, never stopped him doing it tho ;)
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